Legend # 1:

A very, very long time ago, say some African legends, the first baobab sprouted beside a small lake. As it grew taller and looked about it spied other trees, noting their colorful flowers, straight and handsome trunks, and large leaves. Then one day the wind died away leaving the water smooth as a mirror, and the tree finally got to see itself. The reflected image shocked it to its root hairs. Its own flowers lacked bright color, its leaves were tiny, it was grossly fat, and its bark resembled the wrinkled hide of an old elephant.

In a strongly worded invocation to the creator, the baobab complained about the bad deal it’d been given. This impertinence had no effect: Following a hasty reconsideration, the deity felt fully satisfied. Relishing the fact that some organisms were purposefully less than perfect, the creator demanded to know whether the baobab found the hippopotamus beautiful, or the hyena’s cry pleasant-and then retired in a huff behind the clouds. But back on earth the barrel-chested whiner neither stopped peering at its reflection nor raising its voice in protest. Finally, an exasperated creator returned from the sky, seized the ingrate by the trunk, yanked it from the ground, turned it over, and replanted it upside down. And from that day since, the baobab has been unable to see its reflection or make complaint; for thousands of years it has worked strictly in silence, paying off its ancient transgression by doing good deeds for people. All across the African continent some variation on this story is told to explain why this species is so unusual and yet so helpful.

The baobab was among the first trees to appear in the land. Next came the slender, graceful palm tree. When the Baobab saw the palm tree, it cried out to be tallet. Then the beautiful flame tree appeared with its red flowers and the baobab was envious for flower blossoms. When the baobab saw the magnificent fig tree it prayed for fruit as well. The gods became angry with the tree and pulled it up by its roots then re-planted it upside down to keep it quiet.

The Baobab tree fell from the sky that’s why its upside down.

When God made the world he gave each animal tree. The Baobab was given to the hyena who threw it down in disgust-with the tree landing upside down resulting in its impressive shape.

If you pick the flower of the baobab you will be eaten by a lion

If you drink water in which a Baobab’s seeds have been soaked you will be safe from a crocodile attack.